They had left America behind, soaring through the air with a faint line of rainbows created at their relatively high speeds. They weren't going fast enough to make it bright or explode outwards, but if you squinted, the contrails of airplanes in that world had a rainbow hue.

The intercom casually informed the entire cabin that they were coming in for a landing. "If this is your first time here from America, the locals are very friendly, if a bit more furry and feathery than you're used to," warned that kind-toned speaker. "Don't let that dissuade you. They want you to have a good time too! Expect to see seals and walruses and some otters. The bird segment is also represented with seagulls of all variety. They have names beside that, each one of them. Learning them can be part of the fun." Not that she provided a single species name. "We're coming in now. Welcome to Sunny Sands!"

Their small plane was descending towards an equally small strip. The little island they were approaching wasn't large enough to easily imagine an airport that was too much larger, but there were other things clearly visible. There was a community, a small city not far away from that airport, built right alongside the bright white sands. "Wow!" gushed Swift, her face pressed to the window to get a good look at what was visible below. "Say, mister, ya gonna be in the same place?"

"Not to be a buzzkill--" Which was exactly what he was doing. "--but you should sit back while we're landing."

"Listen to the man," came her mother's voice. "He's not wrong."

"Ugh, fine!" She flopped back, arms crossed in a bit of a pout. That didn't stop her from peeking out the window from there, though the view wasn't as good. "I hope you're ready!"

"I feel you're being specific, without saying what I should be ready for?" Paul smiled at the energetic youth, unsure of her meaning.

"You're going to be the minority now. There are way less humans here than other creatures." She hiked a thumb at her own chest. "Like me! Don't worry, I am a kind ruler." She puffed herself up, looking ready to giggle.

"You are too kind." Not that he was, technically, a human. Not that he planned to share that fact with her. "Do people give you trouble about that?"

"Only stupid people." Swift rolled her eyes with the dramatic flair only a tween'sh could manage. Not that he was sure of her age. 12? 14? 11? Somewhere around there. "It's so dumb. This world has how many creatures? Why get hung up on any one of them?"

"That seems reasonable enough." Paul decided he wasn't going to try to hash out the intricacies of racial politics with the child. The room around them jostled as the plane touched the earth. "There we are. Just wait for that light to go out."

She could see the buckle light as well as he could. "I know. You're not my mom." She stuck out her tongue at him.

"He's a nice man," came her actual mom's voice, clearly listening in. "Thank you for putting up with her."

"There's nothing to 'put up' with. You have a delightful daughter," he assured. The light went out, and people began to stand up.

It was time to arrive at Sunny Sands, with its copious amount of sun, and one would hope some sand too.

"I could just hop us over," offered Discord, his fingers raised, poised to snap. "Save us a long, boring trip so we can get right to fun and exotic locales."

Fluttershy didn't seem as certain. "But what if we're supposed to arrive at the normal time?"

Discord folded his arms. "Then harmony did a silly job by asking me to be involved if she wanted us to do everything the slow and boring way."

"Well... That's true," she admitted, rubbing into her mane a moment before she perked up. "You have a point. If we get there early, we'll just have to wait until we find the problem."

"Oh dear." Discord raised his hands fretfully to his lips. "I'll have to spend time with you?! However will we survive?"

Fluttershy burst into little giggles. "Stop that!" She swatted at him, but she was smiling. "We'll make do."

"What we won't do is wait to get there." He casually plucked up his pegasus pal, arm wrapped around her barrel. "And away we go!" With a sharp snap of his free hand, a glittering and ornate door sprang into being, swinging open without being touched. Beyond it, a bright and sandy beach. "At least she's sending us somewhere nice." And he stepped through to far away from Equestria, which would have to make do without him for a while, somehow.

Fluttershy fell to the warm sands. "Oh, my... yes." She circled in place, feeling the warmth penetrating her hooves. "This is nice, but I am curious, Discord. Aren't you and Harmony... rivals you said?"

"We sure are," he said more like it was something to be excitedly happy about than anything he was mad about. "The gall of her, sending me on her mission. I have to admire her guts." He drew a hat from nowhere, a straw one he popped on his head to match the Hawaiian shirt he had never put on, yet was wearing. "Let's mingle!"

Fluttershy looked uncertain a moment before she nodded. "Y-yes! That is likely the best way to find the problem we're here to fix. Trying to force it rarely works out. We should stick together. We don't know which of our... perspectives... will see the problem."

"Woah." An upright seal was peering at Discord with jaw agape. "What even are you?" he asked, clearly confused.

Fluttershy turned in place to address the new presence. "This is my friend. It's not... polite to stare."

"Oh, right." The seal had the manners to look sheepish on being called out. "Sorry. Just never saw a creature like that. It's kinda cool."

"I do cut quite the figure." Discord struck a pose, perhaps enjoying being admired. "Now, since you're here, kindly direct us to where most of the creatures around here like to gather."

"Oh, yeah!" He turned and pointed with both hands at a beach not too far off. "The best waves and the best sands on the island! Everyone who visits goes there."

Fluttershy gasped in wonder. The beach was filled with all manner of creature, even some humans mixed in there, but mostly not-them. "Wow... They seem to be having a good time."

"And soon so shall we!" Discord started towards the beach without delay. "Where there are people, the chances of running into the right one goes up! To adventure!"

"Have fun." The seal waved a little before resuming what he had been in the middle of.

Fluttershy trotted beside him. "Do you think I could have a moment?"

"What for?" He pulled down the dark sunglasses he hadn't even put on. "Need sunscreen?"

"No! Not that." She blushed a little. "I just wanted to talk to the local animals. I don't get too many chances, and I hear dolphins are amazing animals." She clopped her hooves together firmly. "Not to mention sharks, and jellyfish and..."

"I get the idea." He set a hand down on her mane. "Who knows, maybe we'll have to settle a dispute between two tuna fish or something like that." He shrugged as if that wasn't an unlikely scenario. "She never does anything without a reason, one of her weaknesses." He winked at Fluttershy. "So if she sent you, maybe it is an animal thing."

Fluttershy scampered across the sands, eager to introduce herself to the local fauna. Her stampede was only stopped to say hello to a seagull that was plucking an abandoned half of a bagel. "What? Oh no, that's all yours," she assured the agitated bird. "I wouldn't dream of depriving you. I'm Fluttershy."

Discord chuckled softly at his lovely pegasus friend. "And while you make nice with them..." he twirled in place and headed instead for a volleyball game in progress. "I'm going to have some fun."

"Our rooms are right there." The Secret Service-man pointed to where they'd been placed, not far away. "Please tell us if you leave your room."

"Sure thing, Hank." Paul knew his name. He tried to know all their names. "I won't do anything without at least texting you where I'm going, so think of this as a working vacation." He'd heard stories of some clients the Secret Service had that were... trying at times. "Don't even worry about it. Oh, the drinks are available, off the clock, of course."

"Of course." Hank nodded once, and stepped away back towards their room with the stiff formality Paul had expected. They were doing their job. He wouldn't begrudge them.

Paul closed the door with a light click. His room was spacious, with a big soft bed, a big bright television, and a big window that let one look at the big beach that was considered one of the primary attractors of the area. "Hm." But would he go there first?

It was tempting...

And he was there to have fun...

He grabbed one of his suitcases and popped it open, taking out his clothes and hanging them up. As he did that, he tossed aside a few articles of clothes. He did not... technically... need clothes. He was a changeling. He could be wearing whatever he wanted at any moment. But he was also a human. A perfectly normal human.

And perfectly normal humans put on clothes. He swapped his suit out, taking off the one he had arrived in, and swapping to the one he had separated as he put things away. Shorts, brightly colored top, sunglasses. He looked ready for a beach! He even eschewed his usual shoes for sandals to flip-flop in. "Time to relax." He didn't feel relaxed, not yet. Hopefully that would change.

He grabbed his phone and quickly tapped out a text to his caretakers, alerting them where he was going, and what he was wearing for easier spotting. "Not trying to elude you." He tucked the phone away in a pocket, his wallet opposite it. He had everything he could think of.

All that was left was to go have a good time.

She wore a one piece and a shining pendant, her own little fragment of the stone that let her people flee into the water so long ago. "C'mon!" She tugged at her boyfriend's hand. "You are not going to come all the way here just to not swim."

"Swift." Mike was resisting her tugs, though he was losing ground with each pull. "Swift! I don't know how to swim!"

"Oh." The tugging stopped. "Why didn't you just tell me?" Swift rolled her eyes. "I'll show you, it'll be fun!" She grabbed him up in a great fierce hug. "Trust me!"

Reduced to blushing awkwardness, Mike was doomed as he was drawn away by his fiery girlfriend away from the nice dry beach and into those lapping waves. Her form changed on contact with the sea water, causing her to flop over as her bottom became that of a fish. She was a mermaid, her top unchanged. This did not bother her, clearly, from the way she was laughing wildly. "That always feels so funny."

"Can you breathe water like that?" She was still pulling him along, and the water was rising rapidly up to his chest. "'Cause I can't, just to remind."

"I know that, dummy." She pulled him close and her powerful tail propelled them both away from the safety of the beach. He couldn't feel the bottom anymore, floating there in her grip. "I won't let you get hurt, promise. Mikey, trust me."

"I-I... do." He smiled awkwardly, but, scary as it was, he could think of a lot of places worse off to be than the warm waters in the arms of his girlfriend. "So how do I start?"

Author's Note

Welcome to the waters, Mike! All the plot lines have arrived at the same place. Surely this is a good sign and everything will be great!

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